"Last Monday Charles Jenkins was summoned to the office of Hofstra athletic director Jack Hayes, and who could blame him. The last time Jenkins had been in Hayes' office, he got the news that Tim Welsh, who had just been named coach, was resigning after a DWI arrest and that Mo Cassara would be taking over. In a prior visit, Jenkins had been told that long-time Hofstra coach Tom Pecora was leaving to take the reins at Fordham"
But this the news was about Charles, Hofstra had decided to retire Jenkins' number 22 before his final home game, Saturday afternoon against Hofstra. Charles wears 22 in honor of his late brother, Kareem Albritton, who was shot back in 2001 at the age of 22. He was named CAA Player of the Year and is lock to win it again in 2010-2011. We have even heard Jenkins' name being mentioned in National Player of the Year talks, he is one of only three players to lead their conference in both points and assists (Duke's Nolan Smith and Cleveland State's Norris Cole).
Jenkins is currently Hofstra's all-time leading scorer with 2,441 points, surpassing Antoine Aguido's previous record, and will continue to add to that total during the CAA tournament. Jenkins is the second leading scorer in CAA history, behind only the great David Robinson of Navy. He was recently named one of 30 finalists for the Nasmith Award (for best collegiate basketball player in the country). Hofstra is sporting a 20-10 record, 14-4 in conference, good for 2nd place in the CAA. If they team can win its next three games they will be the in the NCAA tournament for the first time since 2001. Making the big dance would be a great way for Charles Jenkins to end his college career.
There has been many discussions over whether Jenkins will play at the next level. Hofstra has only produced one NBA player: Speedy Claxton 2001-2008, but has had many former athletes play overseas in places like Turkey and Puerto Rico. David Satriano of the New York Post said "Charles Jenkins showed yesterday why he has garnered national attention, and might be a lottery pick in this year's NBA Draft." This is a big leap for a guy who wasn't even listed in mock drafts back in the Fall. Jenkins is a phenomenal scorer but he does with efficiency, 53% from field goal range and 42% from behind the arch. Although he is only 6'3" Jenkins weights 220 pounds and is built like a linebacker. Whenever Charles isn't in the gym you could find him in the weight room. His body type is ideal for a NBA combo guard. Hofstra's senior guard is the fourth leading scorer in the country and each day his draft stock seems to be rising. In his senior season he had to deal with losing long time Hofstra coach Tom Pecora and and the resignation of Tim Welsh, all in a single off-season. In addition we saw the transfer of multiple Hofstra players following Pecora's departure to Fordham.
Hopefully the Pride can continue their stellar season and earn a bid into the NCAA tournament. Jenkins has one of the most consistent careers in recent history, most top scorers enter the draft after one or two seasons, but Charles was been at Hofstra for 5 years (after being red-shirted his freshman year). Experts and finally started placing Jenkins on their draft boards, late second round, but a team that has a guard need should really like at Jenkins. He can score from anywhere on the court, rebounds well for his size, and passes the ball like a true point guard. Look for a similar situation to the one we are seeing with the Knicks and Landry Fields: a senior guard from a "mid-level" conference who filled the stat sheet but got little recognition. Landry Fields was taken in the second round but is easily outplaying every rookie selected ahead of him, including guys like John Wall. If it wasn't for Blake Griffin (injured prior to the 2009-2010 season) Landry Fields would be the favorite for Rookie of the Year. Whichever team "gambles" on Charles Jenkins will hit the jackpot. I see him immediately playing significant minutes at both guard spots. His handles, shooting ability, and defensive skills will make him a valuable asset for a rebuilding team. The perfect "win-win" situation would be for the Chicago Bulls to draft Jenkins in the second round. The Bulls' weakest link is Keith Bogans at SG, but the team still has Kyle Korver off the bench. Bogans and Korver can hold their own until Jenkins develops and learns the system. Jenkins would be a great compliment to Derrick Rose and ironically is a hybrid cross between the style's of Rose and Deng. If Jenkins can develop into his role within a season or two the Bulls will be the favorites in the East and a dangerous offensive machine.
Sunday, February 27, 2011
Thursday, February 24, 2011
The Best vs. The Rest
Introduction
More than ever the NBA seems to be divided into two distinct categories, "the good vs. the bad", "the contenders vs. the pretenders", "the best vs. the rest", but in reality this trend has existed for over 50 years. Two teams in the league, the Boston Celitcs and Los Angeles Lakers (formerly of Minneapolis), have combined to win the finals 33 of the 64 times. Boston has appeared in the finals 21 times, winning 17 of those games. The Lakers have been in the championship game a record 31 times, and hold a 16-15 record in those games. The Chicago Bulls (or should I say Michael Jordan) are a distant third with a perfect 6-0 finals record. Jordan and the Bulls dominated the league during the 90s, with 2 "three-peats" in that span, only separate by MJ's retirement. Next in the list is another undefeated team, the Spurs, 4-0 in the 2000s. The dynasty has been lead by Tim Duncan, Tony Parker, and Manu Ginobli. The Bullets (now Wizards), Hawks, Blazers, Kings, Sonics (now Thunder), and Bucks have all only earned one title, all of which were won prior to 1980. The Miami Heat won the finals in 2006, their first in franchise history. The Pistons, 76ers, and Warriors all have 3 championships while the Knicks, who have appeared in the finals 8 times (4th most all-time), have came out on top twice. After the Lakers and Celtics there aren't many times with multiple championships and only one other team has over 5 (the Bulls) and that took the talents of greatest player to walk the planet.
A quick tally of the 64 championships looks like this: Celtics (17), Lakers (16), Bulls (6), Spurs (4), Pistons (3), 76ers (3), Warriors (3), Knicks (2), Wizards (1), Hawks (1), Blazers (1), Sonics/Thunder (1), Bucks (1), Heat (1), and Kings (1).
Prior to this year, or even this decade, teams had multiple superstars. The top four teams: Celtics, Lakers, Bulls, and Spurs all won their titles with at least two All-Star level players. Everyone talks about Boston's Big 3 of KG, Allen, and Pierce but the original Big 3 was Bird, Parish, and McHale. "Superteams" have existed and flourished since the dawn of the NBA, the only difference now is who controls it.
How did Carmelo get to New York? Who created the Heat's "New Big 3"? Players are beginning to have all the leverage and control by holding their teams hostage. During the hay-day of the NBA, teams were stacked due to the draft, trades, scouting, and a myraid of other reasons, but never because Magic Johnson decided to team up with Larry Bird. Did Michael Jordan team up with Isiah when he couldn't beat the Pistons? No, he worked on his game and eventually created a dynasty with the Bulls? What did LeBron do when he couldn't beat the Celtics? Create a mega-team with Wade in Miami.
The owners definitely seem have a strong desire to re-take control of the league, and they have every right to do so. The players job is to go out on the court and give it their all, for whatever team they are on, not play fantasy basketball with the media. People were satisfied with domination during the 70s and 80s because those teams were built "fairly" and other franchises were still competing with their own superstars. But today players like Chris Paul and Carmelo Anthony are jealous of guys like Kobe and Tim Duncan who hold multiple rings. Their egos are telling them that the only way to win is by teaming up with another high level player, rather than be part of a re-building process for the future. Part of this attitude change is because guys feel that they need a ring (or multiple) to be considered "great". There is a whole different mystique when you see Michael Jordan in Springfield, with his 6 championships. Hall of Famers like George Gervin, Pete Maravich, Reggie Miller, Patrick Ewing, Jason Kidd, Mark Jackson, Dominique Wilkins, Artis Gilmore, Elgin Baylor, John Stockton, Charles Barkley, Steve Nash, and Karl Malone are all outstanding players who are without a ring. None of these guys demanded to be traded or teamed up with one another, and their careers are still looked upon with awe. There is a separation between the "ring-less" players and legends like Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson, and Larry Bird, but it is because of how they earned those rings as much as it how many they have.
This separation is starting to divide the league into an even greater unbalanced sea-saw. It was one thing when there were 9 or 10 teams in contention (per conference) and the other 6 or 7 were left behind, because at least then around half of the league felt they had a chance in post-season play. Today the consensus is that the number is becoming slimmer and slimmer, going from 9 or 10 per conference to around 3 or 4. Even with a salary cap basketball is starting to feel like a league with a bunch of "Yankee" teams spending money and competing against each other, leaving the Devil Rays for a life irrelevance with no-name talent. Who really has a chance at winning the title this season? Let's break it down:
Mediocre
If we break down the league by talent level we need to start with the mediocre teams who will not a championship any time soon. Mediocre: Cavaliers, Kings, Wizards, Raptor Pistons, Bucks, Bobcats, Rockets, Nets, Timberwolves, and Clippers. These are teams that are currently out of the playoffs in their respective conferences and a majority of them currently lack the necessary talent to elevate themselves. After the recent trade deadline I would also add Denver and Utah to this list, both organizations traded their one and only All-Star (top 15 player) and have no viable replacement, as well as the 76ers and Pacers. This list consists of 15 mediocre teams, many of which are in small markets, who combined only had two players selected to the All-Star game (Derron and Griffin), Love was selected as an injury replacement. These teams do have young talent but for the near future their chance at winning a title is slim to none. When 15 out of your 30 teams are considered "mediocre" you know there is a problem.
The Rockets have their star in Kevin Martin but the rest of the roster is scarce when it comes to talent, John Wall and Tyreke Evans are play makers without guys to pass the ball off to, and Derron Williams doesn't seem likely to stay with the Nets when they move to Brooklyn. The only two teams with bright (distant) futures are the Clippers and the Timberwolves. Each team already has their franchise big man, Blake Griffin and Kevin Love respectively, who will attract fans and hopefully other superstars. But the rest of their rosters are only filled with potential not substance. In 3 or 4 seasons these two teams have the best chance of replacing teams like Boston and San Antonio in the elite group.
Elite
There are some elite teams who have more All-Stars than those 15 teams combined. We can rattle off a list of 5 or 6 teams who we think will be in the finals and I guarantee we get it right. Elite: (East)- Celtics, Heat, Bulls, Magic, Knicks, and Hawks? West- Lakers, Spurs, Mavericks, and Thunder. The Knicks and definitely the Hawks are more of a "middle of the pack" team but because they are in the East they have a small chance to be in the finals or at least make some noise and upset some teams, especially the Knicks. In the East these 6 teams combined for 13 All-Star selections (the entire East roster plus Carmelo). This just shows the domination currently occurring in the NBA and the next two players in line, Raymond Felton and Josh Smith, are on the Knicks and Hawks respectively. The Eastern conference is much weaker than the West is due to the high number of bad teams in the East. The 76ers and Pacers are the 7 and 8 seed but would be in the bottom of the West standings. Combined their only real good player is Andre Iguodala who hasn't even lived up to his hype due to on-going injuries. Both these teams have a bunch of young players: Paul George, Roy Hibbert, Darren Collision, Thaddeus Young, Jodie Meeks, and Evan Turner, but at best those guys will develop into role players and hold these franchises to mediocrity.
The Hawks have always been a very good team but can't get passed their 5th seed label (first round victory at best), but they locked up Joe Johnson and have two studs down low in Horford and Smith. Although they probably won't win a title, their talent level is high.
The Knicks belong in this category because of their future, they have 2 top five scorers and are looking to add CP3 or Derron Williams in 2012. If that happens the Knicks will be the favorites, along with Miami in the East. This season no team wants to see them in playoffs because they have two studs who could drop 40 in a playoff game. But their lack of depth, especially down low, will prove to be their down-fall come playoff time.
The Bulls are not always mentioned with the likes of Miami and Boston but Chicago has an MVP candidate, Derrick Rose, as well as top high level big men (Boozer signed at the max in July and Joackim Noah). Loul Deng is a great wing player, although overpaid, and the team has a solid bench lead by Gibson and Korver. If they had a better 2 guard they would be my favorites to win it all.
Orlando really needs to hope they can win now because it is almost a fore gone conclusion that Dwight leaves for LA in 2012. They have two post seasons left to bring a title to South Florida. They really only have one superstar but a lot of good role players: Hedo, Jason Richardson, Jameer, and Arenas. Sadly, within 1.5 seasons Orlando will join the list of mediocre teams without an All-Star.
Boston and Miami both have their "Big 3s" but Boston just shipped off Perkins, as well as two of their other bigs, so they don't have that huge advantage down low anymore. This leaves the East favorite wide open. These franchises are headed in opposite directions. If Miami can add a point guard and/or true center they will be even scarier for years to come. Boston on the other hand is looking at a very old team, only Rondo will still be an elite player in a season or two. KG and Allen will be on their last legs very soon and their production will be in question. The Celtic's window of opportunity is only very small but after it has closed it will be hard to gauge Boston's status.
The Lakers are looking for their second "three-peat" and to tie the Celtics for most championship banners. As long as they have Kobe LA will be in contention. Gasol has taken over the role Shaq had during the Lakers' first title run and Odom has been the third part of the triangle offense.
San Antonio had their best 1st half record in franchise history, only 10 losses at the All-Star break, and seems to be unstoppable. Greg Popovich is coaching this team to perfection. There biggest boost from last year has been with depth due to the development of guys like Dejuan Blair and Gary Neal. This team is going to stick together despite being in a "small market". San Antonio, like LA, continues the Big 3 theme.
Mark Cuban is one of the greatest owners in sports, ask anyone who has played for him. Dallas was looking to make a move at the deadline but couldn't move Caron Butler because they were unwilling to part with Rodrigue Beaubois. A reunion between Kidd and Dirk Nowitzki was sky-rocketed Dallas up the standings. Both of these guys are hungry for a ring, they are arguably the best active players without a title in their career. Tyson Chandler has been a pleaseant surprise, overshadowing Brendan Haywood downlow, and their depth is probably the best in the league. Jason Terry, J.J Barea, and Shawne Marion are extremely versatile. In addition signing Peja Stojakovic makes the Mavs even deadlier from long range. Dirk, Peja, J.Kidd, Terry, and Marion have been knocking down treys at an alarming rate for over a decade. This team has the perfect mix to make another appearance in the conference finals.
The Thunder have taken the league by storm the last two seasons. Scott Brooks has developed Russell Westbrook into a perfect compliment for Kevin Durant. Jeff Green was thought to be the last piece of the trio but Oklahoma City traded him to Boston for Perkins and Nate Robinson. Kendrick Perkins is the perfect addition for this roster; young, athletic, and a big body. Jeff Green was a scoring wing and didn't offer much use for a team with Durant and Ibaka locked in at the forward positions. The team has tremendous depth at the guard position: Thabo Sefolosha, Eric Maynor, James Harden, and Nate Robinson. All guys who can rotate around the two guard position. Down low Perkins and Ibaka are the shot-blockers down low, teams will think twice about slashing to the hoop against OKC.
In Between
This group is the difference between the West and East. The East is strictly good vs. bad but the West has a small group of teams that aren't at the highest level but could be very soon. The Hornets, Blazers, Grizzlies, Warriors and Suns are the lower playoff teams who seem to be a piece away from elite. All of these rosters have guys who were All-Star snubs and also guys who have mysterious futures.
To being we have New Orleans, the Hornets have the best point guard around in Chris Paul and second star in David West. You would think their future is bright, one player away from a "big 3", but nothing could be farther from the truth. David West is a free agent this season and will almost certainly find a new home come July, everyone knows the rumors of Chris Paul and the Knicks in 2012, and Emeka Okafor is eating up a lot of their cap space from now until 2014. On top of this the teams was bought by the NBA, and is essentially owned by the league's 29 other teams. Mark Cuban was openly appalled when the Hornets traded for Carl Landry, and his $3 million dollar salary, for Marcus Thornton (making around $800k). This trend will continue if New Orleans take on any more significant financial obligations.
Another team with a gloom future is Phoenix. The Suns have taken a huge turn for the worse after being left with nothing after letting Amar'e Stoudemire sign with the Knicks. The days of Mike D'Antoni, Steve Nash, Amar'e, Shawne Marion, and Joe Johnson is long gone. That team had a "big 4" before the Celtics were even relevant again. But a lot of bad trades left with wishing for a time machine. Steve Nash is an old body and on his last legs (literally), Vince Carter will likely be trade to leave because of $18 million salary but either way he is a log jam in their flexibility, and Robin Lopez is no where near the talent they had hoped. Channing Frye, Hakim Warrick, Josh Childress, and Mickael Pietrus are only making around $6 million until 2015 which also hinders the Sun's ability to bring in more talent. This team couldn't win a title with Amar'e and without him they are headed for mediocrity.
Memphis is in big trouble come the off season. They have one of the best combos down low with Marc Gasol and Zach Randolph and before Rudy Gay's injury Memphis had the most underrated trio in the league, and a fourth star in Mike Conley was also emerging. But Memphis has to be concerned with their chances in retaining these guys, Randolph and Gasol are unrestricted free agents. Randolph will want somewhere in the area of his current $17 million salary while Gasol will easily demand a raise from his $3 million contract, about a 400% raise. With the free agency pool weak especially down low, Nene may sign an extension with Denver, look for Zbo and Gasol to have numerous offers. The Grizzlies play in a small market and may even move back to Vancouver soon. Memphis has the talent to be a playoff team in the West and if they can somehow manage to keep their bigs then the Grizz will be a scary team, bordering elite (very unlikely scenario due to cap space)
The last two teams, Golden State and Portland, are very intriguing futures both short term and long term. Golden State runs a very fast paced offense with Monta Ellis and Stephen Curry in the back court. They have a good young group down low with David Lee and Andris Biendris, plus Dorrell Wright at the 3 gives them another scorer who can do a little bit of everything. These guys aren't All-Stars, except for maybe Monta, but they have 4 extremely talented young players who are yet to hit their potential. This time won't win a title I guarantee that, but they can be like the Hawks; the perennial 5th seed who may win a first round matchup but is fun to watch in the regular season. On the other hand there is Portland who still can't shake the injury curse. They just traded for Gerald Wallace which adds to their depth. Portland has 5 or 6 guys they can throw at you who play multiple positions. Lamarcus Aldridge was the biggest All-Star snub and is the future of the NBA. If Brandon Roy can finally keep himself relatively healthy and return to old form then Portland has two players in their primes to build around. Additionally Rudy Fernandez, Wesley Matthews, Marcus Camby, and Andre Miller are all great role players. If Greg Oden can stay on the court and be the third piece for Portland then that would elevate the Blazers above Dallas fighting with Oklahoma City for the third spot in the West.
Summary
10 Elite Teams: Boston, Miami, Los Angeles, San Antonio, Dallas, Orlando, Chicago, Oklahoma City, Atlanta and New York
15 Mediocre Teams: Cavaliers, Kings, Wizards, Raptor Pistons, Bucks, Bobcats, Rockets, Nets, Timberwolves, Clippers, Jazz, Nuggets, 76ers, and Pacers
5 In Between Teams: Grizzlies, Suns, Warriors, Blazers, and Hornets (only Portland looks truly poised for a jump to the elite)
More than ever the NBA seems to be divided into two distinct categories, "the good vs. the bad", "the contenders vs. the pretenders", "the best vs. the rest", but in reality this trend has existed for over 50 years. Two teams in the league, the Boston Celitcs and Los Angeles Lakers (formerly of Minneapolis), have combined to win the finals 33 of the 64 times. Boston has appeared in the finals 21 times, winning 17 of those games. The Lakers have been in the championship game a record 31 times, and hold a 16-15 record in those games. The Chicago Bulls (or should I say Michael Jordan) are a distant third with a perfect 6-0 finals record. Jordan and the Bulls dominated the league during the 90s, with 2 "three-peats" in that span, only separate by MJ's retirement. Next in the list is another undefeated team, the Spurs, 4-0 in the 2000s. The dynasty has been lead by Tim Duncan, Tony Parker, and Manu Ginobli. The Bullets (now Wizards), Hawks, Blazers, Kings, Sonics (now Thunder), and Bucks have all only earned one title, all of which were won prior to 1980. The Miami Heat won the finals in 2006, their first in franchise history. The Pistons, 76ers, and Warriors all have 3 championships while the Knicks, who have appeared in the finals 8 times (4th most all-time), have came out on top twice. After the Lakers and Celtics there aren't many times with multiple championships and only one other team has over 5 (the Bulls) and that took the talents of greatest player to walk the planet.
A quick tally of the 64 championships looks like this: Celtics (17), Lakers (16), Bulls (6), Spurs (4), Pistons (3), 76ers (3), Warriors (3), Knicks (2), Wizards (1), Hawks (1), Blazers (1), Sonics/Thunder (1), Bucks (1), Heat (1), and Kings (1).
Prior to this year, or even this decade, teams had multiple superstars. The top four teams: Celtics, Lakers, Bulls, and Spurs all won their titles with at least two All-Star level players. Everyone talks about Boston's Big 3 of KG, Allen, and Pierce but the original Big 3 was Bird, Parish, and McHale. "Superteams" have existed and flourished since the dawn of the NBA, the only difference now is who controls it.
How did Carmelo get to New York? Who created the Heat's "New Big 3"? Players are beginning to have all the leverage and control by holding their teams hostage. During the hay-day of the NBA, teams were stacked due to the draft, trades, scouting, and a myraid of other reasons, but never because Magic Johnson decided to team up with Larry Bird. Did Michael Jordan team up with Isiah when he couldn't beat the Pistons? No, he worked on his game and eventually created a dynasty with the Bulls? What did LeBron do when he couldn't beat the Celtics? Create a mega-team with Wade in Miami.
The owners definitely seem have a strong desire to re-take control of the league, and they have every right to do so. The players job is to go out on the court and give it their all, for whatever team they are on, not play fantasy basketball with the media. People were satisfied with domination during the 70s and 80s because those teams were built "fairly" and other franchises were still competing with their own superstars. But today players like Chris Paul and Carmelo Anthony are jealous of guys like Kobe and Tim Duncan who hold multiple rings. Their egos are telling them that the only way to win is by teaming up with another high level player, rather than be part of a re-building process for the future. Part of this attitude change is because guys feel that they need a ring (or multiple) to be considered "great". There is a whole different mystique when you see Michael Jordan in Springfield, with his 6 championships. Hall of Famers like George Gervin, Pete Maravich, Reggie Miller, Patrick Ewing, Jason Kidd, Mark Jackson, Dominique Wilkins, Artis Gilmore, Elgin Baylor, John Stockton, Charles Barkley, Steve Nash, and Karl Malone are all outstanding players who are without a ring. None of these guys demanded to be traded or teamed up with one another, and their careers are still looked upon with awe. There is a separation between the "ring-less" players and legends like Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson, and Larry Bird, but it is because of how they earned those rings as much as it how many they have.
This separation is starting to divide the league into an even greater unbalanced sea-saw. It was one thing when there were 9 or 10 teams in contention (per conference) and the other 6 or 7 were left behind, because at least then around half of the league felt they had a chance in post-season play. Today the consensus is that the number is becoming slimmer and slimmer, going from 9 or 10 per conference to around 3 or 4. Even with a salary cap basketball is starting to feel like a league with a bunch of "Yankee" teams spending money and competing against each other, leaving the Devil Rays for a life irrelevance with no-name talent. Who really has a chance at winning the title this season? Let's break it down:
Mediocre
If we break down the league by talent level we need to start with the mediocre teams who will not a championship any time soon. Mediocre: Cavaliers, Kings, Wizards, Raptor Pistons, Bucks, Bobcats, Rockets, Nets, Timberwolves, and Clippers. These are teams that are currently out of the playoffs in their respective conferences and a majority of them currently lack the necessary talent to elevate themselves. After the recent trade deadline I would also add Denver and Utah to this list, both organizations traded their one and only All-Star (top 15 player) and have no viable replacement, as well as the 76ers and Pacers. This list consists of 15 mediocre teams, many of which are in small markets, who combined only had two players selected to the All-Star game (Derron and Griffin), Love was selected as an injury replacement. These teams do have young talent but for the near future their chance at winning a title is slim to none. When 15 out of your 30 teams are considered "mediocre" you know there is a problem.
The Rockets have their star in Kevin Martin but the rest of the roster is scarce when it comes to talent, John Wall and Tyreke Evans are play makers without guys to pass the ball off to, and Derron Williams doesn't seem likely to stay with the Nets when they move to Brooklyn. The only two teams with bright (distant) futures are the Clippers and the Timberwolves. Each team already has their franchise big man, Blake Griffin and Kevin Love respectively, who will attract fans and hopefully other superstars. But the rest of their rosters are only filled with potential not substance. In 3 or 4 seasons these two teams have the best chance of replacing teams like Boston and San Antonio in the elite group.
Elite
There are some elite teams who have more All-Stars than those 15 teams combined. We can rattle off a list of 5 or 6 teams who we think will be in the finals and I guarantee we get it right. Elite: (East)- Celtics, Heat, Bulls, Magic, Knicks, and Hawks? West- Lakers, Spurs, Mavericks, and Thunder. The Knicks and definitely the Hawks are more of a "middle of the pack" team but because they are in the East they have a small chance to be in the finals or at least make some noise and upset some teams, especially the Knicks. In the East these 6 teams combined for 13 All-Star selections (the entire East roster plus Carmelo). This just shows the domination currently occurring in the NBA and the next two players in line, Raymond Felton and Josh Smith, are on the Knicks and Hawks respectively. The Eastern conference is much weaker than the West is due to the high number of bad teams in the East. The 76ers and Pacers are the 7 and 8 seed but would be in the bottom of the West standings. Combined their only real good player is Andre Iguodala who hasn't even lived up to his hype due to on-going injuries. Both these teams have a bunch of young players: Paul George, Roy Hibbert, Darren Collision, Thaddeus Young, Jodie Meeks, and Evan Turner, but at best those guys will develop into role players and hold these franchises to mediocrity.
The Hawks have always been a very good team but can't get passed their 5th seed label (first round victory at best), but they locked up Joe Johnson and have two studs down low in Horford and Smith. Although they probably won't win a title, their talent level is high.
The Knicks belong in this category because of their future, they have 2 top five scorers and are looking to add CP3 or Derron Williams in 2012. If that happens the Knicks will be the favorites, along with Miami in the East. This season no team wants to see them in playoffs because they have two studs who could drop 40 in a playoff game. But their lack of depth, especially down low, will prove to be their down-fall come playoff time.
The Bulls are not always mentioned with the likes of Miami and Boston but Chicago has an MVP candidate, Derrick Rose, as well as top high level big men (Boozer signed at the max in July and Joackim Noah). Loul Deng is a great wing player, although overpaid, and the team has a solid bench lead by Gibson and Korver. If they had a better 2 guard they would be my favorites to win it all.
Orlando really needs to hope they can win now because it is almost a fore gone conclusion that Dwight leaves for LA in 2012. They have two post seasons left to bring a title to South Florida. They really only have one superstar but a lot of good role players: Hedo, Jason Richardson, Jameer, and Arenas. Sadly, within 1.5 seasons Orlando will join the list of mediocre teams without an All-Star.
Boston and Miami both have their "Big 3s" but Boston just shipped off Perkins, as well as two of their other bigs, so they don't have that huge advantage down low anymore. This leaves the East favorite wide open. These franchises are headed in opposite directions. If Miami can add a point guard and/or true center they will be even scarier for years to come. Boston on the other hand is looking at a very old team, only Rondo will still be an elite player in a season or two. KG and Allen will be on their last legs very soon and their production will be in question. The Celtic's window of opportunity is only very small but after it has closed it will be hard to gauge Boston's status.
The Lakers are looking for their second "three-peat" and to tie the Celtics for most championship banners. As long as they have Kobe LA will be in contention. Gasol has taken over the role Shaq had during the Lakers' first title run and Odom has been the third part of the triangle offense.
San Antonio had their best 1st half record in franchise history, only 10 losses at the All-Star break, and seems to be unstoppable. Greg Popovich is coaching this team to perfection. There biggest boost from last year has been with depth due to the development of guys like Dejuan Blair and Gary Neal. This team is going to stick together despite being in a "small market". San Antonio, like LA, continues the Big 3 theme.
Mark Cuban is one of the greatest owners in sports, ask anyone who has played for him. Dallas was looking to make a move at the deadline but couldn't move Caron Butler because they were unwilling to part with Rodrigue Beaubois. A reunion between Kidd and Dirk Nowitzki was sky-rocketed Dallas up the standings. Both of these guys are hungry for a ring, they are arguably the best active players without a title in their career. Tyson Chandler has been a pleaseant surprise, overshadowing Brendan Haywood downlow, and their depth is probably the best in the league. Jason Terry, J.J Barea, and Shawne Marion are extremely versatile. In addition signing Peja Stojakovic makes the Mavs even deadlier from long range. Dirk, Peja, J.Kidd, Terry, and Marion have been knocking down treys at an alarming rate for over a decade. This team has the perfect mix to make another appearance in the conference finals.
The Thunder have taken the league by storm the last two seasons. Scott Brooks has developed Russell Westbrook into a perfect compliment for Kevin Durant. Jeff Green was thought to be the last piece of the trio but Oklahoma City traded him to Boston for Perkins and Nate Robinson. Kendrick Perkins is the perfect addition for this roster; young, athletic, and a big body. Jeff Green was a scoring wing and didn't offer much use for a team with Durant and Ibaka locked in at the forward positions. The team has tremendous depth at the guard position: Thabo Sefolosha, Eric Maynor, James Harden, and Nate Robinson. All guys who can rotate around the two guard position. Down low Perkins and Ibaka are the shot-blockers down low, teams will think twice about slashing to the hoop against OKC.
In Between
This group is the difference between the West and East. The East is strictly good vs. bad but the West has a small group of teams that aren't at the highest level but could be very soon. The Hornets, Blazers, Grizzlies, Warriors and Suns are the lower playoff teams who seem to be a piece away from elite. All of these rosters have guys who were All-Star snubs and also guys who have mysterious futures.
To being we have New Orleans, the Hornets have the best point guard around in Chris Paul and second star in David West. You would think their future is bright, one player away from a "big 3", but nothing could be farther from the truth. David West is a free agent this season and will almost certainly find a new home come July, everyone knows the rumors of Chris Paul and the Knicks in 2012, and Emeka Okafor is eating up a lot of their cap space from now until 2014. On top of this the teams was bought by the NBA, and is essentially owned by the league's 29 other teams. Mark Cuban was openly appalled when the Hornets traded for Carl Landry, and his $3 million dollar salary, for Marcus Thornton (making around $800k). This trend will continue if New Orleans take on any more significant financial obligations.
Another team with a gloom future is Phoenix. The Suns have taken a huge turn for the worse after being left with nothing after letting Amar'e Stoudemire sign with the Knicks. The days of Mike D'Antoni, Steve Nash, Amar'e, Shawne Marion, and Joe Johnson is long gone. That team had a "big 4" before the Celtics were even relevant again. But a lot of bad trades left with wishing for a time machine. Steve Nash is an old body and on his last legs (literally), Vince Carter will likely be trade to leave because of $18 million salary but either way he is a log jam in their flexibility, and Robin Lopez is no where near the talent they had hoped. Channing Frye, Hakim Warrick, Josh Childress, and Mickael Pietrus are only making around $6 million until 2015 which also hinders the Sun's ability to bring in more talent. This team couldn't win a title with Amar'e and without him they are headed for mediocrity.
Memphis is in big trouble come the off season. They have one of the best combos down low with Marc Gasol and Zach Randolph and before Rudy Gay's injury Memphis had the most underrated trio in the league, and a fourth star in Mike Conley was also emerging. But Memphis has to be concerned with their chances in retaining these guys, Randolph and Gasol are unrestricted free agents. Randolph will want somewhere in the area of his current $17 million salary while Gasol will easily demand a raise from his $3 million contract, about a 400% raise. With the free agency pool weak especially down low, Nene may sign an extension with Denver, look for Zbo and Gasol to have numerous offers. The Grizzlies play in a small market and may even move back to Vancouver soon. Memphis has the talent to be a playoff team in the West and if they can somehow manage to keep their bigs then the Grizz will be a scary team, bordering elite (very unlikely scenario due to cap space)
The last two teams, Golden State and Portland, are very intriguing futures both short term and long term. Golden State runs a very fast paced offense with Monta Ellis and Stephen Curry in the back court. They have a good young group down low with David Lee and Andris Biendris, plus Dorrell Wright at the 3 gives them another scorer who can do a little bit of everything. These guys aren't All-Stars, except for maybe Monta, but they have 4 extremely talented young players who are yet to hit their potential. This time won't win a title I guarantee that, but they can be like the Hawks; the perennial 5th seed who may win a first round matchup but is fun to watch in the regular season. On the other hand there is Portland who still can't shake the injury curse. They just traded for Gerald Wallace which adds to their depth. Portland has 5 or 6 guys they can throw at you who play multiple positions. Lamarcus Aldridge was the biggest All-Star snub and is the future of the NBA. If Brandon Roy can finally keep himself relatively healthy and return to old form then Portland has two players in their primes to build around. Additionally Rudy Fernandez, Wesley Matthews, Marcus Camby, and Andre Miller are all great role players. If Greg Oden can stay on the court and be the third piece for Portland then that would elevate the Blazers above Dallas fighting with Oklahoma City for the third spot in the West.
Summary
10 Elite Teams: Boston, Miami, Los Angeles, San Antonio, Dallas, Orlando, Chicago, Oklahoma City, Atlanta and New York
15 Mediocre Teams: Cavaliers, Kings, Wizards, Raptor Pistons, Bucks, Bobcats, Rockets, Nets, Timberwolves, Clippers, Jazz, Nuggets, 76ers, and Pacers
5 In Between Teams: Grizzlies, Suns, Warriors, Blazers, and Hornets (only Portland looks truly poised for a jump to the elite)
Tuesday, February 22, 2011
"Stat & Melo, The New Ewing-Starks"
"Stat & Melo, The New Ewing-Starks"
After almost a year of anticipation, Carmelo Anthony is finally a Knick. Seven months after missing out on LeBron the Knicks pull off a blockbuster trade to bring Carmelo to New York.
To acquire Anthony, the Knicks are sending: Danilo Gallinari, Raymond Felton, Wilson Chandler, the Knicks’ 2014 first-round pick, two second-round picks New York (acquired from the Golden State Warriors in the David Lee sign-and-trade) and $3 million. The Knicks will also trade Anthony Randolph and Eddy Curry's expiring contract to the Minnesota Timberwolves, who will send Corey Brewer to New York. The Knicks will receive Anthony, Chauncey Billups, Shelden Williams, Renaldo Balkman, and Anthony Carter.
But everyone is wondering if the Knicks gave up too much for Carmelo and how the front office is going to replace all the talent they gave up. But if you look around the league, there are a ton of affordable players who can play key roles for New York next season. The Knicks gave up four role players for a super star (and a role player in Billups). Anthony Carter and Shelden Williams come off the books this summer, Billups has a team option in his contract for 2011-2012 (to bridge the gap until Chris Paul), and Balkman is signed to a very affordable salary and can be a useful big man in his second run with New York. Many people are also questioning the Knicks financial flexibility in the future, but they are set up well to supply Stat and Melo with very solid role players.
Obviously the two major contracts are Amare Stoudemire and Carmelo Anthony's long-term deals. The Knicks have both players under contract until 2015. In yesterday's trade the Knicks shipped away Eddy Curry's ridiculous expiring contract. But they also shaved off other smaller financial obligations such as Gallinari and Randolph who were signed until 2013 and schedule to make a combined $10 million that season. Chandler will be a free agent in the summer either way and Felton was a short-term option with only one year left on his deal, at $7.5 million due next season. The Knicks will retain Bill Walker, Andy Rautins, Toney Douglas and Landry Fields for another season, all making between $700,000 and $1.2 million.
The next step will be filling the roster with affordable players who give the team both short-term talent as well as long term financial flexibility. The first move will be Ronny Turiaf who has a $4.36 million dollar player option for next season. I am not sure whether I am a fan of Turiaf accepting this option but he has every right to do so. He currently ranks 25th in the league in PER (Player Efficiency Ranking) among centers. Turiaf brings a ton of energy and excitement to this Knicks and it will be interesting to see how he plays the rest of the season. So far he is only averaging 18 minutes per game due to nagging injuries, but if he can stay healthy and play starters’ minutes at Center (25-30) then he is definitely worth the money. Roger Mason and Kelenna Azubuike are both unrestricted free agents and both have yet to see the floor very often. Unless they begin to show signs of life I would let them both walk and look to fill the void somewhere else. The most important thing for the Knicks may seem small but the team needs to retain Shawne Williams. Williams is making $885, 210 this season but he is a 6'9" forward who can play on the wing as well as down low. Shawne Williams is the perfect player for New York's system because he is an outstanding 3-point shooter, currently holding the best percentage in the league. I love the Knicks talent off the bench in terms of spurts of talent; Douglas is great on-the-ball defender and has greatly improved his shooting range. Toney was the back up for Felton and will continue that role backing up Billups (and hopefully CP3). Bill Walker had one of the best dunks of the season, a monster slam over Andrew Bogut (league leader in blocked shots) and he is the only remaining piece from the Nate trade. Walker is a better pure scorer than Nate and is also signed longer/for less money making him a steal. The final remaining Knick will be Syracuse native Andy Rautins. Rautins is an experience player from his days at Syracuse and on the Canadian National Team. He is a great shooter and hopefully will grow into a bench role next season.
Now comes free agency, the Knicks still have roster spots to fill and some money to spend. But the team will not go after any big name-high price guys until 2012 (Dwight, Chris Paul, and Derron) making guys like Marc Gasol, Zach Randolph, David West, and Caron Butler out of reach. But we have seen the Miami Heat use almost all of their money on 3 superstars then surround them with role players and still produce an elite team. The Knicks will use a similar formula, a mix of veteran talent and youthful prospects.
There are some very interesting players available whom I would absolutely love to see in New York. The first on my list is Deandre Jordan. The Clippers have over $12 million invested in Chris Kaman next season, and also have young big men like Blake Griffin and Al-Farouq Aminu signed until 2014. Deandre will obviously be in a bench role if the Clippers retain him but it seems like they are more likely to spend money on big man free agents or in trades for veteran wing players. Due to Kaman's injury Jordan has been averaging 26 minutes per game and posting 7 rebounds as well as 1.7 blocks per game. Those two numbers alone are enough to make me think he could really help the Knicks. He is an efficient scorer and at 7 feet, Deandre Jordan can be a scary presence down low. In the East, the elite teams will have trouble penetrating to the hoop against Stoudeimire (2.2 blocks per game) and Jordan. The Knicks are already first in the league in terms of blocks, but would dominate with the addition of another Top 15 shot blocker. The front office should sign this young big-man to an affordable long-term deal before other teams realize his potential
The next piece if the 2011 Three Point Champion, James Jones. He is a free agent and Miami is in no position to be giving any players a raise, and frankly they don't care who they have on the bench as long as LeBron and Wade are playing MVP-level basketball. James Jones is a one dimensional SG/SF but that one area is exactly what they Knicks need, a pure shooter. James Jones could split time with Landry Fields at SG and play the SF when the Knicks go small, he will spread the floor and see a lot of open shots when Carmelo and Amare draw double teams. This will help everyone because teams will have to pick their poison against the Knicks if our superstars are surrounded by snipers. New York should sign James Jones to a short-term deal at around $2 million per season.
Marcus Thornton is a young player with a great offensive arsenal, except in New Orleans he has been in the doghouse due to "lack of work on defense". Such a thing would never occur on a Mike D'Antoni team where defense takes a back seat to offense. Marco Belinelli, Trevor Ariza, Marcus Banks, and Jarret Jack have all cut into Thornton's minutes but maybe he can carve his way into the Knicks rotation with his quick scoring style. He is making less than $800,000 this season and he’s a risk, but a small-short term contract could lead to a big return for New York next season.
Another big man who will be available is Houston's Chuck Hayes. Hayes is another guy who is getting an increased role due to injuries; Brad Miller has missed a lot of games for the Rockets as well as Yao Ming. Next season Houston will look to spend money and bring support for Kevin Martin. Jordan Hill, Luis Scola, and Brad Miller will all be on the roster and healthy next season so look for Houston to part with Chuck Hayes, Shane Battier, and Yao Ming. New York should definitely look to get a big man down low and after Deandre Jordan, Chuck Hayes is the best on my list. Hayes is an undersized center at only 6'6" but his 238-pound frame allows him to muscle in the paint for rebounds and he shoots at a high percentage from the field (mostly an around the basket guy). Hayes has less potential than Deandre Jordan, but is much more consistent (similar to Ronny Turiaf). Jordan and Turiaf would compliment each other best, but if Turiaf leaves then look for the Knicks to be a serious play at one, if not both, of these big men. He is making $2.3 million this year and will demand a higher payday than Jordan.
The Pistons have a talented second year player in Jonas Jerebko. He made the All Rookie Second Team, which has been an indicator of guys poised for breakout seasons: Kevin Love, Marc Gasol, and Eric Gordon (from the 08-09 team). Jerebko is another international stud and will hopefully want to play in New York, the media capital of the world. Similar to how Gallo loved the New York spotlight, Jonas Jerebko could flourish in New York and give the Knicks a lot of European appeal. The lanky big man can be a back up to Amare and learn the game from an All-Star power forward. This situation would be a win-win for everyone (except the Pistons). Another guy making under 800K who isn't expecting any multi-million dollar deals. This guy is for real. James Dolan needs to make sure we lock him up for a long-term deal, or at least a contract with team options.
Reggie Williams is part of Don Nelson's love of guards/wing players. On a team headlined by Stephen Curry, Monta Ellis, and Dorrell Wright, Reggie Williams has had very few chances to break out. Golden State and the Knicks run similar styles: "don't play defense", so Williams would feel right at home in New York. He's another guy who may fly under the radar when times throw big money at the elite players. Similarly would be Shane Battier, but for opposite reasons. Battier does not put up good looking stats, but he ends up filling the box score. He is an outstanding defender, great shooter, extremely efficient, and is coming off a big contract. Teams are not going to pay a veteran-defender who doesn't score big money, so the Knicks should look to pay him (definitely less than his current $7 million deal). He has experienced a lot of hard times with Yao Ming in Houston and will hopefully look to pair up with two healthy superstars.
In the case that the Knicks decide to buy out Billups rather than pay him $14 million dollars, they need to look for a fill-in point guard, a one-year bridge until free agency 2012. Toney Douglas hasn't show signs of being a franchise or even starting point, and there are now NBA ready point guards that the Knicks could draft. This is a very hard void to fill, which is why they are very likely to keep Billups. Other options include signing someone like Sebastian Telfair, T.J Ford, Steve Blake or Mario Chalmers to a one-year deal. A more ideal situation would be to acquire Luke Ridnour from the Timberwolves in exchange for Toney Douglas. Ridnour is making around $4 million a year for the next 4 seasons and could be a back up for New York come 2012. Other less likely candidates would be Acie Law, Mo Williams, and Rodney Stuckey.
There are a large number of scoring wings, but this is not important with Carmelo and Amare at the forward positions. Guys like Marquis Daniels, Anthony Parker, Jason Kapano, Tayshaun Prince, and Tracy McGrady may be willing to sacrifice money for a chance to help bring a title to New York.
The Knicks did the right thing and got an elite scorer for a group of role players. In less than a year the Knicks have acquired two Top 15 players and returned to the playoffs, even after losing out on LeBron. As fans, we hated the front office for signing guys like Eddy Curry and Jerome James, making bad trades for Stephon Marbury and Penny Hardaway, and for trading away countless draft picks and potential superstars. Denver fans are going to be sitting home for the five seasons praying to be blessed in the draft with a once-in-a-lifetime player (again), hoping this time that the won’t lose him.
Saturday, February 19, 2011
Will Albert Walk? The End Of An Era In St. Louis
The deadline for Albert Pujols' contract talks has passed and the two sides have yet to come to an agreement. None the less, there is still no indication that Pujols will lift that deadline to discuss his contract at any point during the season. Sports Illustrated reported that the Cardinals had offered the 3-time MVP an eight contract worth over $200 million but Albert was seeking a ten year deal worth $300 million. A deal of that magnitude would make Pujols the highest paid player in league history, both on a per year basis as well as total salary, surpassing Alex Rodriguez's 10-year $275 million deal with the Yankees
Signing a player for ten years and investing $300 million for that one guy is absurd, even if he is the best player in the league. Pujols feels he deserves more money than Ryan Howard, who just signed a 5-year $125 million contract ($25 mill a year) with the Phillies, and in reality he does because Pujols is a much better player than Howard. But no player is worth $300 million, no matter how great he is and no matter how many records he is going to break. The smart move for the Cardinals would be to let Albert walk when the time comes, unless he is willing to give St. Louis a very large home-town discount.
I bet the Yankees are looking at Alex's contract and regretting how much money the invested, especially since they will be still be paying A-Rod $27.5 million when he is 42 years old. Albert is currently 31 years old and would also be 40+ years old at the end of a potential ten-year contract. Although the Yankees can afford to pay any amount of money they know the last four years of that contract will be absolutely brutal to look at. There is no doubt that Alex Rodriguez will be out of his prime and on the back end of his career when he his current ten year deal expires in 2017. We need to remember how Alex Rodriguez ended up in New York, Texas could not afford to pay Alex and did not want to take on such a big investment. Of course Albert will not end up with the Yankees but there are other teams who have the financial ability to pay Pujols, like Chicago, Los Angeles, and even the Mets.
The Yankees are worth over a billion dollars and bring in $441 million worth of revenue each year. In comparison, the Cardinals are only worth $488 million total and bring in $195 million a season. Those numbers show that the Yankees make almost as much money per year as the entire Cardinal franchise is worth ($441 mill vs. $488 mill). So relatively speaking, paying Albert $30 million a year would take up 15% of the Cardinal's revenue, while the Yankees only use 6% of their annual revenue to pay Alex Rodriguez. The Cardinals cannot pretend that they are a "big market" team like the Yankees or Red Sox. Again, relatively a team like the Yankees can "afford" to pay players $20-$30 million a year because their payroll is almost 50% higher than teams like the Cardinals (Yankees=$194 million payroll, Cardinals= $100 million payroll).
In addition the Cardinals re-signed outfielder Matt Holliday to a seven-year $120 million dollar contract, the richest contract in the illustrious history of the St. Louis Cardinals, and would be devoting almost 50% of their payroll on only two players. It is unclear why the Cardinals decided to lock up Holliday before Pujols but the Cardinals cannot field well rounded team with only $54 million dollar left to spend, that would only be $2.34 million per player. In 2010 Matt Holliday put up .312 BA, 28 HR, and 103 RBIs and the Cardinals would be able to add two players of similar caliber rather than spend on $30 million on Albert (.312 BA, 42 HR, and 118 RBIs). Another problem is that other current players will be free agents in the upcoming years and undoubtedly seek more than $2.34 million. These players include Adam Wainwright, Yadier Molina, and Chris Carpenter. Locking up their pitching staff and adding two or three solid hitters would better for the franchise long term.
The Cardinals have always been known for developing young talent out of their farm system with smart coaches like Tony LaRussa and pitching coach Dave Duncan. But the Cardinal's farm system only ranks 17th in the league, with only two prospects in the top 100. This shows how the team cannot solely depend on their young players and will need to acquire talent through free agency. Albert is the face of the franchise, and the face of St. Louis, but the Cardinals are already very hyped and proven to be a winning team, whether Pujols stays or goes they have already tapped out the market to its fullest extend. The Yankees have the highest pay roll in all of sports but they still don't win year after year. Teams like the Padres and Giants are winning games based on good pitching and by playing "money ball".
The usual big spenders have no need at first base. The team that spends the most money out of anyone, the Yankees, locked up Mark Texiera for 8 years and $180 million back in 2008. The Phillies just signed Ryan Howard for the next 5 seasons at $25 a year. And in all likelihood the Red Sox will retain newly acquired first baseman Adrien Gonzalez for $20+ million a year in a long-term contract. Those are the top 3 spenders in the MLB and other teams like the Mets are in very bad financial situations. The potential suiters would be either of the Chicago teams or LA teams but those clubs also have big name guys to pay.
In the end the Cardinals need to think about their long-term financial situation. 10 years at $30 million dollars would be a constraint on this franchise for generations. What if Albert gets hurt? What if his production drops after 3 or 4 seasons? What if steroid allegations come out? These are all things we have seen happen to super star athletes in the blink of an eye. Will any team be willing to pay that high price? Would they be bidding against themselves? Players like Albert Pujols come along once in a lifetime but St. Louis needs to start considering life after Albert as a realistic possibility.
Here are some examples of what $30 million could buy you in the MLB...
1. Prince Fielder ($15 mill) and Justin Morneau ($13 mill)
2. Jake Peavy ($17 mill) and Chris Carpenter ($13 mill)
3. Joey Votto ($12 mill), Dustin Pedroia ($7 mill), and Hanley Ramirez ($11 mill)
4. Josh Hamilton ($12 mill), Carlos Gonzalez ($11 mill), and Hunter Pence ($7 mill)
5. In 2003, 2004, 2005, and 2007 the entire Tampa Bay (Devil) Ray's pay roll was under $30 million dollars
6. The entire 2011 Tampa Bay Ray's starting lineup
7. The entire 2011 San Diego Padres roster (all major league level contracts minus signing bonuses)
8. The entire 2011 Pittsburgh Pirates roster (all major league level contracts minus signing bonuses)
9. The 2001 Oakland Athletics roster (who went 102-60 and made it to the ALDS)
10. Babe Ruth's highest year salary 400 times
Sunday, February 13, 2011
College Basketball's Race To The Top
On Saturday afternoon Ohio State lost their first game of the season. Wisconsin welcomed the Buckeyes into Madison and stormed the court after knocking off the number one team in the country. This leaves the us without a single undefeated team, and without a consensus number one overall team. Who should be number one? Kansas, Texas, Pittsburgh, and Ohio St are all viable candidates
Ohio State (24-1, 11-1 Big Ten): The Buckeyes first and only loss of the season came yesterday, a 71-67 road battle against fourteenth ranked Wisconsin. The Big 10 is loaded with talented teams and outstanding players, which makes Ohio State's resume even better. Four teams are currently ranked in the AP Top 25: Ohio State, Purdue, Wisconsin, and Minnesota. In addition Illinois, who has been in and out of the rankings, will certainly re-enter this week. Teams such as Penn State, Michigan, Northwestern, and Indiana have been putting up fights night in and night out. Plus, who could forget Michigan State (preseason top 5) sitting in the middle of the pack, waiting to make its March run. Ohio State was 5-0 against the top 25 coming into this weekend and faces off against rival Michigan State on Tuesday. The newly crowned numbered one has a very good chance of maintaining it's position. A loss to #14 Wisconsin on the road is very respectable. Jared Sullinger, along with seniors Jon Diebler and David Lighty, will lead this team deep into the bracket.
Kansas (22-1, 9-1 Big 12): After a crazy week in a college basketball, where we saw almost all of the top 15 teams lose, Kansas moved up the ladder into the number two slot. Kansas is the most efficient team in the country: 1st in field goal percentage (.523), 2nd in assists per game (18.6), and 6th in points per game (83.9). The Jayhawks have done all of this without their best offensive player, Josh Selby. The freshman missed the first three games for Kansas and has sat out the last nine, but Kansas is still 12-0 without Selby. Seniors Brady Morningstar, Tyrel Reed, and Mario Little have provided experience and leadership all year long. In addition Kansas is stacked with future NBA stars, juniors: Tyshaun Taylor, Markieef Morris, and Marcus Morris are all seeing their draft stock sky rocket. Their only loss came back on January 22nd against Texas, who is currently ranked one slot behind Kansas at number three. But Kansas has only beaten one top 25 team: #20 Missouri by 17. The Jayhawks did win against Memphis (ranked 14) by thirteen back on December 7th but Memphis is now out of the top 25 (19-7, 7-3 C USA). The Big 12 conference is very top-loaded, but the bottom half of the teams are very mediocre and not seen as quality victories. Like Ohio State, Kansas has only one loss, and the Jayhawk's loss came to a tougher opponent (#3 Texas) as opposed to Ohio State's loss (#14 Wisconsin). But the Buckeyes have beaten five ranked teams, four more than Kansas, and the Big 10 is a more talented conference than the Big 12.
Texas (22-3, 10-0 Big 12): People may wonder how Texas is in the conversation for the number one rank with three losses, and in all likelihood they probably won't move up the ladder this week, but few people will argue with the fact that Texas is an elite team. In my opinion the Longhorns are the best team in the country and their early losses will only help them come tournament time. Texas has had the hardest schedule of any team, playing nine teams currently in the AP top 25. They are 7-2 in those games, and their two losses were by a combined three points. Texas went on the road and knocked off Kansas by nine, won against Missouri by 13, and beat Texas A&M twice by twenty each time. Their first loss of the season came against #4 Pittsburgh, 66-68 where Ashton Gibbs scored 19 of his 24 points in the second half to lead the Pitt Panthers. Then early in 2011 the Connecticut knocked off Texas on a Kemba Walker game winning shot in overtime, a heart breaking loss for Longhorn fans. And their third loss was to USC, a 17 point defeat where Jordan Hamilton was held to 12 points on 4 of 13 shooting. Nikola Vucevic had a career game for USC, scoring a career high 24 points. The most impressive parts of Texas' resume is their perfect in conference record, and strength of schedule. The Longhorns rank 6th in the nation with 41 rebounds a game. In all likelihood we will see teams like Ohio State, Kansas, and Pittsburgh accumulate more losses as their schedules get more difficult and towards the end of conference play. The loss to USC is a big blemish on their record but both Pitt and Uconn will finish the season in the top 10 and Texas deserves consideration for the number one seed.
Sunday, February 6, 2011
Kobe vs. Michael: The End All Debate
On Friday Kobe played his 1,072nd career game against the New Orleans Hornets. Michael Jordan finished his career with 1,072 career games over 15 different seasons (19 year span due to retirements).
Games Played- Bryant: Since Kobe is just 32 and has never retired he will still have time to continue his career and accumulate more stats, wins, and rings. Michael career took place from the ages of 21 to 40 while Kobe has been in the league since he was 18, straight of out high school.
Games Started- Jordan: MJ began his career as a starter is rookie year, and finally retired a 40 year old starter for the Wizards. Out of his 1,072 games Jordan started all but 33 of them (97%) while Kobe has started 924 (86%)
Minutes Played- Jordan: Michael has played over 1,000 more minutes over the same number of games and his average of 38.3 minutes per game is higher than Kobe's average of 36.5. Michael had seen playing time regardless of age, over 3,000 minutes as a rookie and over 3,000 minutes at the age of 40. While Kobe only averaged 15 minutes per game as a rookie but now averages around 34.
Field Goals- Jordan: Jordan's numbers are in higher volume: Michael made 12, 192 shots (11.4 per game) while Kobe made 9,432 shots (8.8 per game), Jordan took 24,537 shots (22.9 per game) as opposed to Kobe's 20,728 shots (19.3 per game).
Free Throws- Jordan: MJ made more free throws and was sent to the line more often; ordan made 7,327 free throws (6.8 per game) to Bryant's 6,859 free throws made (6.4 per game). In regards to attempts Michael took 8,772 free throws (8.2 per game) while Kobe attempted 8,190 free throws (7.6 per game). There free throw percentages are almost identical 85.5 and 85.7, with Kobe beating out Michael by 0.2 percent. Overall the edge goes to MJ since they shot the same percentage but Michael was at the line more frequently.
Three Pointers- Bryant: Kobe runs away in this category making 1,370 three-pointers (1.3 per game), more than doubling Michael's 581 three-pointers (0.5 per game). Of course Kobe also took a ton more shots from behind the arc: 4,041 three-pointers (3.8 per game) as compared to MJ's 1,778 three-pointers (1.7 per game). But despite the huge gap in numbers Kobe only topped Michael by 1.2 percent (33.9% vs. 32.7 for MJ). Kobe's huge advantage is lessened by the fact that Michael was almost equally as effective form behind the arch but just took less long range shots.
Rebounding- Jordan: Although Kobe is taller than Michael (only slightly) Michael grabbed 1,668 offensive rebounds (1.6 per game) to Kobe's 1,266 offensive rebounds (1.2 per game). On the other end MJ had 5,004 defensive rebounds (4.7 per game) while Kobe brought in 4,406 defensive rebounds (4.1 per game). None the less both players have great numbers for shooting guards. After 1,072 career games, Kobe grabbed 5,672 total rebounds (5.3 per game), much less than Michael who grabbed 6,672 total rebounds (6.2 per game). In the exact same number of games Michael Jordan has exactly 1,000 more rebounds than Kobe.
Assists- Jordan: Michael once averaged 8 dimes a game back in the 88-89 season (along with 8 boards), one of the most impressive single seasons of all time. Jordan dished off for 5,633 assists (5.3 per game) in his career while Kobe has accumulated 5,020 assists (4.7 per game).
Steals- Jordan: No doubt MJ wins in this category, he's one of the greatest perimeter defenders in NBA history. Jordan lead the league in steals three times. He has 2,514 steals (2.3 per game) versus Kobe who has 1,617 steals (1.5 per game) thus far.
Blocks- Jordan: Again Jordan runs away in this category, Michael still holds the record for most all time blocks by a guard, 893 shots (0.8 per game). Kobe has a blocked a respectable 569 shots (0.5 per game).
Turnovers- Jordan: Bryant turned the ball over 3,133 times (2.9 per game), while Jordan turned the ball over 2,924 times (2.7 per game). Turning the ball over leads to the other team's points. Both players did it a lot, but Jordan did it less often.
Fouls- Jordan: In 1,072 Jordan committed 39 less fouls, an outstanding fact considering how he had so many more steals and blocks. Despite Jordan's tough defense and agressiveness he managed to play smart and commit less career fouls, 2,783, than Kobe: 2,822.
Total Points- Jordan: We all know Kobe has been making headlines climbing the all-time scoring list, passing Hall of Famers, but through an the same number of games MJ has over 5,000 more points: 32,292 aagaint Kobe's 27,093. MJ averaged a mind-blogging 30.1 points per game ranging over a long 15 season, 19 year career, which did not end until he was 40 years old. Kobe boosts a career average of 25.3 points per game, a number that has been increasing ever since his playing time has. Kobe's 15 minutes per game at 18 years old limited his numbers.
OVERALL/WINNING- MICHAEL JORDAN:
Michael Jordan is the great player to walk the planet and everyone loves to debate "Kobe vs. Michael" but the numbers don't lie, there is no debate. Michael Jordan scored more points, shot more efficiently from the field and from the line, grabbed more rebounds on both ends on the floor, was a better defender, committed less fouls, and turned the ball over less frequently than Kobe. The only category Kobe came out in top in was three point shooting, but really it goes down as a tie. This is because Michael only shot 1.2 percent less form behind the arch than Kobe, so many Kobe should be taking less threes than he has been.
Michael is 6-0 in the NBA Finals and came out the Finals MVP in each of the 6 series. Kobe is 5 for 7 in his finals appearances and only won 2 MVPS out of those 5 wins. MJ: 100% in the finals, won 100% of the MVPs. Kobe: 70% in the finals, winning the MVP only 2 out 5 times (40%).
Some Information Extracted From: Zachmo Marsupalami (Contributor)
Saturday, February 5, 2011
Karma is a Bitch
The Cleveland Cavaliers have tied the record for most consecutive loses in one season with 23. They have also dropped 24 road games in a row. This is easily the worst season the Cavs have had in over thirty years. But the sad part is that Cleveland is even worse than their 8-41 record can show. The Cavaliers have not a single game in 2011, their last win came at home against the Knicks 49 days ago, back on December 18th. The Knicks couldn't pull away despite multiple runs and New York let Cleveland steal an overtime victory. Prior to that game the Cavs had lost 10 in a row, meaning that in their last 34 games Cleveland is 1-33 (that one win being a lucky overtime victory). Theoretically this historic losing streak could and should be at 34, rather than 23.
Cleveland started off this season hovering around .500, 7-10 after 17 games. But discluding the game against New York, the Cavaliers haven't won a game since Thanksgiving (Nov 27 vs. Memphis). Their eight wins break down into: New York (1), Memphis (1), Milwaukee (1), Philadelphia (2), Washington (1), New Jersey (1), and Boston (1).
There first win came in their first regular season game, their first game without LeBron. It came versus the Boston Celtics. Maybe it was the underdog mentality or the hatred for LeBron but Cleveland came out to beat Boston by 8 (95-87) after outscoring the Celtics 27-14 in the fourth quarter. The "Big 3" shot a combined 12 for 33 from the field (36%) and 1-7 from behind the arch (14%). Everyone on Cleveland seemed to have a great game and their season looked bright despite the loss of LeBron.
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